***
James' winery was magnificent.
A large press to extract juice from grapes, and giant oak barrels to store the produced wine.
The press was not only useful for making wine, but also for extracting edible oil from grape seeds and olives, making it a versatile piece of machinery. Although primitive, it was made by the skilled hands of James, resulting in exceptional performance.
Hae-jun immediately began the winemaking process as promised to James.
He put the grapes in and turned the press to extract the juice.
'I need to separate the skin and seeds later to make edible oil.'
If there was no press, he would have had to manually separate the seeds, pulp, and skin, which would have been a tedious task.
In any case, he fermented and aged the extracted juice, discarded the sediment that sank to the bottom, and transferred only the clear liquid to the oak barrels, easily completing the wine.
Now, all that remained was to wait for it to age. It would ideally need to age for several months to years, but perhaps here, he would be able to taste a top-quality wine in a few days.
That's the kind of place Dimension Farm is.
"Sniff sniff~ The aroma is intoxicating. It'll be delicious when it's properly aged."
James said, bringing his nose close to the oak barrel lying on its side.
He looked eager for the wine to age quickly. However, that was something Hae-jun couldn't control.
"Since the work is done, shall we go out for a drink? Hey, Hae-jun. I'll be heading back, so come and get me when the wine is fully aged."
"Wait a minute, Mr. James. I have another request..."
He intended to ask for a table and chairs for the waiting guests in the sunflower yard.
"I'll do it later. Later. I can't stand it anymore, I want a drink. Hahaha!"
However, James, who was already drunk, told him to come to the workshop tomorrow and headed back to town.
'I can't help it. I have no choice but to wait one more day.'
Even if it's one day, it's only about 6 hours in real time.
Considering James' skills, he would be able to make it in time before the store opens tomorrow, so Hae-jun decided to wait leisurely while taking care of the remaining farm work.
"Chloe, can you harvest some crops for me? I need to make some edible oil here."
"The edible oil just ran out this morning. Good timing. Don't worry about the field, make some edible oil."
"Thanks. Harvest only what you can harvest, and plant wheat in all the empty spaces."
Since he sells sandwiches every morning, he needed quite a lot of wheat flour.
"Okay."
"Thanks."
While Chloe worked in the field, Hae-jun pressed the remaining grape seeds and olives from making wine, obtaining a bottle of edible oil that would last for a while.
He pressed a lot, but the amount of oil he got was small.
'I guess there's less oil than I thought because I pressed it for oil.'
He mixed the leftovers from the pressing with compost.
This is also rich in nutrients, so he will be able to get better fertilizer.
Now, all that's left is...
"I wonder if the apple vinegar fermented well?"
He checked the condition of the vinegar he made last time.
A translucent yellow liquid visible inside a sealed glass bottle.
He opened the lid with a slightly nervous heart.
A very strong sour scent hit his nostrils.
When he scooped up a little with a spoon and tasted it, the intense sourness stimulated his brain through his mouth and nasal cavity.
"Ugh, it's sour. Shh."
Now that the vinegar was made, he could also make cheese.
Things were progressing step by step as he had planned.
***
Next day.
"You add lemon juice and vinegar at the end?"
"Yeah. Stir it like this so it doesn't burn on the bottom, and when white lumps float, strain it through this cloth."
Chloe's eyes sparkled as she watched Hae-jun demonstrate the cheese-making process.
Hae-jun, who confirmed that the milk was curdling, gave his seat to Chloe.
She poured the milk onto the cloth as Hae-jun instructed and squeezed out the moisture. Clear water dripped down, leaving a lump. It was cheese.
"Oh, this is amazing."
"Can you do it?"
"Yeah. Is it easy?"
"Can I ask you to continue managing the livestock, making butter, and making cheese?"
"Leave it to me. It's easy for a lifesaver."
"Thank you."
With Chloe, it was a great help to take care of the farm.
Hae-jun, who came out of the bakery, headed to the field.
In the field, the crops he had planted were growing vigorously under the warm sunlight, and Pote was flying around happily above them.
Hae-jun smiled and checked the growth of the crops.
Wheat, cabbage, cucumbers, and more, the crops he had planted with sweat were growing vigorously.
'Huh!? Why is this place like this?'
Hae-jun's gaze fell on the corner of the field.
Only the wheat planted there failed to sprout properly.
'Is it because of my mood? I'm sure I planted them together...'
It wasn't in the shade, and he had given it enough water and fertilizer. However, only the sprouts in the field planted last did not grow.
Hae-jun, tilting his head, gave it plenty of water and fertilizer.
Patting the ground, he said to grow well.
"Master Hae-jun! You're here."
Pote, who had been flying happily over the field, approached Hae-jun.
"What were you doing?"
"I was absorbing the life force of the sprouting earth. Now, I'm full of energy."
The guy showed off the stem growing from his torso.
Indeed, he had a healthy glow and lush leaves compared to before. And as Pote regained his strength, the crop yield seemed to increase little by little.
It might be his imagination, but at least Hae-jun thought so.
"By the way, how about expanding the field? Wouldn't you recover your strength faster if you planted more?"
"Hmm, that's true, but I can't expand the field any further. This is the maximum."
"What do you mean?"
Hae-jun's face was filled with question marks at the unexpected words.
"Isn't it good to plant a lot and produce a lot? You said it at first. To farm and breathe life into it."
"That's true, but I haven't fully recovered my strength yet."
According to Pote's explanation, Hae-jun's current level was insufficient, and if he expanded the field any further, he would not receive the growth speed buff.
Cha Hae-jun's information, which was implemented like a game status window, contained such things.
He explained that he needed to level up, increase his stamina, and grow many crops quickly at the same time, and that he needed to increase his skill level to produce high-quality crops.
"Look over there. It's not growing properly."
Pote said, looking at the wheat that was particularly short.
"Oh, so that's why? It didn't grow."
"That's right."
Pote nodded.
Until now, it didn't matter how much he grew as he wanted, but as the town opened and the number and quantity of crops increased rapidly, he reached his limit.
"I guess I have to plant diligently and increase my vitality in a planned manner."
"Yes~! That's right."
Now he realized why he displayed information as a status window like a game.
"Hmm, then I have nothing to do right now."
"Then, how about reorganizing the farm on this occasion?"
"Reorganization?"
"The farm has become too complicated. I think it needs to be managed."
Hae-jun looked around.
He was so focused on producing crops and building buildings that he had built them haphazardly, and the farm looked like a poorly developed downtown area.
'Hmm... Come to think of it.'
As the number of chickens and goats increased, a larger coop was needed, and the recently planted trees were bearing fruit, hindering the photosynthesis of the plants growing beneath them.
It was definitely necessary to reorganize the farm.
Hae-jun, who made up his mind, rolled up his sleeves.
He picked up the gravel from the vacant lot outside the fence, leveled the ground, and built a new fence.
On one side, he created a space for hens to stay and peck at the feed, and next to it, he created a pasture for the goats to graze. Both were made wide, almost like free-range.
Finally, he moved the lemon, olive, and grape trees in a row next to the pasture.
"Hmm, it looks nice when it's organized like this."
A well-organized appearance. It felt rewarding after working hard for several hours.
"But isn't it a bit bare?"
"Hmm... is it?"
"I think it would be better if you planted some flowers and decorated the surroundings."
"Flowers? Decorate the surroundings?"
"Yes. Plant some flowers around the warehouse, dig a small pond here, and place outdoor chairs so you can rest during breaks. It would be perfect."
"Are you a landscaper?"
Hae-jun narrowed his eyes and glared.
"W-what, a landscaper?"
"This smells like a landscaper trying to beautify the environment in time for the visit of the battalion commander."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. What are you talking about."
Pote was sweating profusely.
"Well, it's not a bad idea."
It seemed like a good idea to install streetlights so that it wouldn't be dark at night, and to pave the road with stones.
And while you're at it, you could make things like tree decorations and signboards. A fountain, a clock tower... Should I decorate the farm like a town on this occasion?!...
'Ha. Is that going too far?'
Anyway, since he spends a lot of time here, he thought it wouldn't be bad to decorate it to make it more livable.
Hae-jun is not completely devoid of romance for rural life.
"Okay. I've decided. Let's decorate the farm a bit."
Since he had to visit James' carpentry shop anyway, Hae-jun headed to town with Chloe.
With a wagon full of potatoes...
.
.
.
As soon as he arrived in town, he went to the general store and sold the potatoes.
Currently, potatoes were the least useful crop produced on the farm.
"It's too much. The quality is good, but even I can't handle this much."
The owner of the general store bought only half of the potatoes he brought.
Even though he only sold half, he was able to buy quite a few red and yellow flowers with 30 silver.
Since he brought them with him, he decided to give the rest to Mr. James as a bribe(?).
"Will he like it?"
"Mashed potato butter toast and potato wedges are perfect as snacks with alcohol."
"Hmm, then he'll love it. Hey? Look over there."
Chloe pointed to the end of the road with her hand.
A small wooden building next to the town hall. Judging from the sign with a saw and a tree drawn on it, it seemed like he had found the right place.
Looking from the outside, it seemed like there was no one inside. He opened the door just in case, and it opened with a creak. It was quite dark inside the workshop even though it was daytime.
"Mr. James, are you here?"
There was no answer from inside.
Hae-jun, who was hesitating at the entrance, stepped into the workshop.
The workbench was cluttered with tools, as if a thief had broken in. A fallen chair and...
"Mister!"
He found James collapsed in the corner of the workshop.
"Ugh..."
"Are you hungry and collapsed like me?"
Chloe said worriedly behind Hae-jun, who was supporting James.
Somehow, as she said, James' face was pale and his lips were parched, and there was no trace of his usual lively appearance.
"Mister, what's wrong?"
"Ugh... I'm dying."
"Why?"
"Ugh... I don't know. I just drank some alcohol after finishing work as usual, and my stomach... is rumbling."
In other words, Mr. James got drunk after drinking all night.
The workshop was messy because he had used it roughly as usual, and he said that he just got drunk and collapsed.
"Ha!"
He burst out laughing.
"You scared me."
"Sorry..."
"How much did you drink to get a hangover?"
"Not much. 20 glasses of beer as usual? Ugh... my stomach hurts."
"Wow!"
The cup rolling on the floor was a 500ml cup.
In other words, he drank 10,000ml of beer overnight.
'What a drinker!'
James asked Hae-jun, who was surprised, in a dying voice.
"But what are you doing here?"
"Actually, I have something to ask you."
He talked about the table and chairs he would use in the real world.
Of course, he left out the part about moving to the real world.
"It's impossible. Impossible. No work for the time being. Maybe. If my hangover goes away, I might be able to make it. But not now."
He can't work because of a hangover.
He wanted to relieve his stomach and sit him at the workbench right away, but he was in trouble because he couldn't get the three major hangover foods: hangover soup, bean sprout soup, and hangover soup.
"I think of a dish when I see you."
"What is it?"
"Potato soup. The potato soup that my friend Charles makes is the best for hangovers."
"Potato soup? Will that work?"
"Can you make it?"
"Of course."
"Ugh... please. Help me get over my hangover."
***
James' winery was magnificent.
A large press to extract juice from grapes, and giant oak barrels to store the produced wine.
The press was not only useful for making wine, but also for extracting edible oil from grape seeds and olives, making it a versatile piece of machinery. Although primitive, it was made by the skilled hands of James, resulting in exceptional performance.
Hae-jun immediately began the winemaking process as promised to James.
He put the grapes in and turned the press to extract the juice.
'I need to separate the skin and seeds later to make edible oil.'
If there was no press, he would have had to manually separate the seeds, pulp, and skin, which would have been a tedious task.
In any case, he fermented and aged the extracted juice, discarded the sediment that sank to the bottom, and transferred only the clear liquid to the oak barrels, easily completing the wine.
Now, all that remained was to wait for it to age. It would ideally need to age for several months to years, but perhaps here, he would be able to taste a top-quality wine in a few days.
That's the kind of place Dimension Farm is.
"Sniff sniff~ The aroma is intoxicating. It'll be delicious when it's properly aged."
James said, bringing his nose close to the oak barrel lying on its side.
He looked eager for the wine to age quickly. However, that was something Hae-jun couldn't control.
"Since the work is done, shall we go out for a drink? Hey, Hae-jun. I'll be heading back, so come and get me when the wine is fully aged."
"Wait a minute, Mr. James. I have another request..."
He intended to ask for a table and chairs for the waiting guests in the sunflower yard.
"I'll do it later. Later. I can't stand it anymore, I want a drink. Hahaha!"
However, James, who was already drunk, told him to come to the workshop tomorrow and headed back to town.
'I can't help it. I have no choice but to wait one more day.'
Even if it's one day, it's only about 6 hours in real time.
Considering James' skills, he would be able to make it in time before the store opens tomorrow, so Hae-jun decided to wait leisurely while taking care of the remaining farm work.
"Chloe, can you harvest some crops for me? I need to make some edible oil here."
"The edible oil just ran out this morning. Good timing. Don't worry about the field, make some edible oil."
"Thanks. Harvest only what you can harvest, and plant wheat in all the empty spaces."
Since he sells sandwiches every morning, he needed quite a lot of wheat flour.
"Okay."
"Thanks."
While Chloe worked in the field, Hae-jun pressed the remaining grape seeds and olives from making wine, obtaining a bottle of edible oil that would last for a while.
He pressed a lot, but the amount of oil he got was small.
'I guess there's less oil than I thought because I pressed it for oil.'
He mixed the leftovers from the pressing with compost.
This is also rich in nutrients, so he will be able to get better fertilizer.
Now, all that's left is...
"I wonder if the apple vinegar fermented well?"
He checked the condition of the vinegar he made last time.
A translucent yellow liquid visible inside a sealed glass bottle.
He opened the lid with a slightly nervous heart.
A very strong sour scent hit his nostrils.
When he scooped up a little with a spoon and tasted it, the intense sourness stimulated his brain through his mouth and nasal cavity.
"Ugh, it's sour. Shh."
Now that the vinegar was made, he could also make cheese.
Things were progressing step by step as he had planned.
***
Next day.
"You add lemon juice and vinegar at the end?"
"Yeah. Stir it like this so it doesn't burn on the bottom, and when white lumps float, strain it through this cloth."
Chloe's eyes sparkled as she watched Hae-jun demonstrate the cheese-making process.
Hae-jun, who confirmed that the milk was curdling, gave his seat to Chloe.
She poured the milk onto the cloth as Hae-jun instructed and squeezed out the moisture. Clear water dripped down, leaving a lump. It was cheese.
"Oh, this is amazing."
"Can you do it?"
"Yeah. Is it easy?"
"Can I ask you to continue managing the livestock, making butter, and making cheese?"
"Leave it to me. It's easy for a lifesaver."
"Thank you."
With Chloe, it was a great help to take care of the farm.
Hae-jun, who came out of the bakery, headed to the field.
In the field, the crops he had planted were growing vigorously under the warm sunlight, and Pote was flying around happily above them.
Hae-jun smiled and checked the growth of the crops.
Wheat, cabbage, cucumbers, and more, the crops he had planted with sweat were growing vigorously.
'Huh!? Why is this place like this?'
Hae-jun's gaze fell on the corner of the field.
Only the wheat planted there failed to sprout properly.
'Is it because of my mood? I'm sure I planted them together...'
It wasn't in the shade, and he had given it enough water and fertilizer. However, only the sprouts in the field planted last did not grow.
Hae-jun, tilting his head, gave it plenty of water and fertilizer.
Patting the ground, he said to grow well.
"Master Hae-jun! You're here."
Pote, who had been flying happily over the field, approached Hae-jun.
"What were you doing?"
"I was absorbing the life force of the sprouting earth. Now, I'm full of energy."
The guy showed off the stem growing from his torso.
Indeed, he had a healthy glow and lush leaves compared to before. And as Pote regained his strength, the crop yield seemed to increase little by little.
It might be his imagination, but at least Hae-jun thought so.
"By the way, how about expanding the field? Wouldn't you recover your strength faster if you planted more?"
"Hmm, that's true, but I can't expand the field any further. This is the maximum."
"What do you mean?"
Hae-jun's face was filled with question marks at the unexpected words.
"Isn't it good to plant a lot and produce a lot? You said it at first. To farm and breathe life into it."
"That's true, but I haven't fully recovered my strength yet."
According to Pote's explanation, Hae-jun's current level was insufficient, and if he expanded the field any further, he would not receive the growth speed buff.
Cha Hae-jun's information, which was implemented like a game status window, contained such things.
He explained that he needed to level up, increase his stamina, and grow many crops quickly at the same time, and that he needed to increase his skill level to produce high-quality crops.
"Look over there. It's not growing properly."
Pote said, looking at the wheat that was particularly short.
"Oh, so that's why? It didn't grow."
"That's right."
Pote nodded.
Until now, it didn't matter how much he grew as he wanted, but as the town opened and the number and quantity of crops increased rapidly, he reached his limit.
"I guess I have to plant diligently and increase my vitality in a planned manner."
"Yes~! That's right."
Now he realized why he displayed information as a status window like a game.
"Hmm, then I have nothing to do right now."
"Then, how about reorganizing the farm on this occasion?"
"Reorganization?"
"The farm has become too complicated. I think it needs to be managed."
Hae-jun looked around.
He was so focused on producing crops and building buildings that he had built them haphazardly, and the farm looked like a poorly developed downtown area.
'Hmm... Come to think of it.'
As the number of chickens and goats increased, a larger coop was needed, and the recently planted trees were bearing fruit, hindering the photosynthesis of the plants growing beneath them.
It was definitely necessary to reorganize the farm.
Hae-jun, who made up his mind, rolled up his sleeves.
He picked up the gravel from the vacant lot outside the fence, leveled the ground, and built a new fence.
On one side, he created a space for hens to stay and peck at the feed, and next to it, he created a pasture for the goats to graze. Both were made wide, almost like free-range.
Finally, he moved the lemon, olive, and grape trees in a row next to the pasture.
"Hmm, it looks nice when it's organized like this."
A well-organized appearance. It felt rewarding after working hard for several hours.
"But isn't it a bit bare?"
"Hmm... is it?"
"I think it would be better if you planted some flowers and decorated the surroundings."
"Flowers? Decorate the surroundings?"
"Yes. Plant some flowers around the warehouse, dig a small pond here, and place outdoor chairs so you can rest during breaks. It would be perfect."
"Are you a landscaper?"
Hae-jun narrowed his eyes and glared.
"W-what, a landscaper?"
"This smells like a landscaper trying to beautify the environment in time for the visit of the battalion commander."
"Ha. Ha. Ha. What are you talking about."
Pote was sweating profusely.
"Well, it's not a bad idea."
It seemed like a good idea to install streetlights so that it wouldn't be dark at night, and to pave the road with stones.
And while you're at it, you could make things like tree decorations and signboards. A fountain, a clock tower... Should I decorate the farm like a town on this occasion?!...
'Ha. Is that going too far?'
Anyway, since he spends a lot of time here, he thought it wouldn't be bad to decorate it to make it more livable.
Hae-jun is not completely devoid of romance for rural life.
"Okay. I've decided. Let's decorate the farm a bit."
Since he had to visit James' carpentry shop anyway, Hae-jun headed to town with Chloe.
With a wagon full of potatoes...
.
.
.
As soon as he arrived in town, he went to the general store and sold the potatoes.
Currently, potatoes were the least useful crop produced on the farm.
"It's too much. The quality is good, but even I can't handle this much."
The owner of the general store bought only half of the potatoes he brought.
Even though he only sold half, he was able to buy quite a few red and yellow flowers with 30 silver.
Since he brought them with him, he decided to give the rest to Mr. James as a bribe(?).
"Will he like it?"
"Mashed potato butter toast and potato wedges are perfect as snacks with alcohol."
"Hmm, then he'll love it. Hey? Look over there."
Chloe pointed to the end of the road with her hand.
A small wooden building next to the town hall. Judging from the sign with a saw and a tree drawn on it, it seemed like he had found the right place.
Looking from the outside, it seemed like there was no one inside. He opened the door just in case, and it opened with a creak. It was quite dark inside the workshop even though it was daytime.
"Mr. James, are you here?"
There was no answer from inside.
Hae-jun, who was hesitating at the entrance, stepped into the workshop.
The workbench was cluttered with tools, as if a thief had broken in. A fallen chair and...
"Mister!"
He found James collapsed in the corner of the workshop.
"Ugh..."
"Are you hungry and collapsed like me?"
Chloe said worriedly behind Hae-jun, who was supporting James.
Somehow, as she said, James' face was pale and his lips were parched, and there was no trace of his usual lively appearance.
"Mister, what's wrong?"
"Ugh... I'm dying."
"Why?"
"Ugh... I don't know. I just drank some alcohol after finishing work as usual, and my stomach... is rumbling."
In other words, Mr. James got drunk after drinking all night.
The workshop was messy because he had used it roughly as usual, and he said that he just got drunk and collapsed.
"Ha!"
He burst out laughing.
"You scared me."
"Sorry..."
"How much did you drink to get a hangover?"
"Not much. 20 glasses of beer as usual? Ugh... my stomach hurts."
"Wow!"
The cup rolling on the floor was a 500ml cup.
In other words, he drank 10,000ml of beer overnight.
'What a drinker!'
James asked Hae-jun, who was surprised, in a dying voice.
"But what are you doing here?"
"Actually, I have something to ask you."
He talked about the table and chairs he would use in the real world.
Of course, he left out the part about moving to the real world.
"It's impossible. Impossible. No work for the time being. Maybe. If my hangover goes away, I might be able to make it. But not now."
He can't work because of a hangover.
He wanted to relieve his stomach and sit him at the workbench right away, but he was in trouble because he couldn't get the three major hangover foods: hangover soup, bean sprout soup, and hangover soup.
"I think of a dish when I see you."
"What is it?"
"Potato soup. The potato soup that my friend Charles makes is the best for hangovers."
"Potato soup? Will that work?"
"Can you make it?"
"Of course."
"Ugh... please. Help me get over my hangover."
